In his youth he was a keen sportsman, and helped organise the Scottish football team in the representative matches between March 1870 and February 1872.

[5] He married Mary Steward of Peckham, Surrey on 24 April 1872 and they had six children:[3] Kirkpatrick died at the family home in Forest Hill, Kent on 10 November 1899, aged 58.

on Clapham Common; the team sheet for that match also includes a "C. Kirkpatrick", possibly his younger brother Charles.

[11] He became a frequent member of the Wanderers XI, making a total of 58 appearances over the next 11 years, generally as goalkeeper although he played occasionally as an outfield player, even scoring two goals, against Forest Club in 1870 and Gitanos in 1876.

In 1870, he helped Arthur Kinnaird to organise the Scottish team to play against England in the first of the series of international football matches.

The advertisement placed in the Sportsman newspaper stated:A match between the leading representatives of the Scotch and English sections will be played at The Oval on Saturday 19 February, under the auspices of the Football Association.